Chicago, Ill. -  In a close battle with Concordia Chicago Wednesday night at the Keating Center, the Illinois Tech women's basketball team put together a decisive performance in the final quarter to pull away from the Cougars, 75-64. With the win, the Scarlet Hawks improved to 3-4 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play, and 4-11 overall. The Cougars fell to 2-5 in conference and 5-10 overall.

The Scarlet Hawks had a balanced offensive attack on the evening, with 5 players scoring in double figures, led by Julia Bucci with 15 points. The Hawks were also the beneficiaries of 28 Cougar turnovers, forced and unforced.

First Half (Concordia Chicago 35 - Illinois Tech 32)
The Cougars asserted control early, and held a 12-5 lead five-plus minutes into the opening quarter. A Camden Joko three-pointer with 1:04 remaining closed out the scoring in the first quarter, and pulled the Scarlet Hawks within 3 points, trailing 16-13. Concordia Chicago regained their momentum in the second quarter, outscoring the Hawks 19-13 to open up a 35-26 advantage with 2:40 remaining. The Scarlet Hawks would counter with a 6-0 run to end the first half, cutting their deficit to 3 points. Abigail Marino led the Hawks with 6 points in the opening half.

Second Half (Illinois Tech 43 - Concordia Chicago 29) 
A Chloe Churrilla layup with 5:06 remaining in the third quarter capped off a 9-2 run for the Scarlet Hawks, giving them a 41-37 lead. The Cougars would chip away however, using a 12-4 run to retake the lead at 49-45 with 50 seconds remaining in the quarter. Kaya Jones would answer for Illinois Tech, scoring a layup and making the subsequent "and-one" free throw to pull the Hawks within 1 point to end the third quarter. Concordia Chicago would push back to start the fourth quarter, outscoring the Hawks 7-2 with 7:48 remaining to take a 56-50 advantage. The Scarlet Hawks would clamp down defensively over the remainder of the quarter, using a combination of defensive stops, fast break points and converting free throws to finish the game on a 25-8 advantage, and securing the conference victory. Bucci scored 10 points in the second half to lead the Hawks.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

• Julia Bucci led the Hawks with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals.
• Kaya Jones had 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, while drawing 6 fouls.
• Grace Goodnough with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks.
• Chloe Churrilla with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists, while drawing 6 fouls.
• Abigail Marino with 10 points on 4-4 shooting, including 2 of 2 from three point range. She also added 2 rebounds.

Cougars Watch

• Melia Perry paced the Cougars with 16 points and 4 steals.
• Alisyn MacGregor had 11 points and 13 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
• Cydnei Mitchell and Nazuri Whigham each with 12 points.

Inside The Box Score

• The Scarlet Hawks had a slight edge in points in the paint, 36-30. 
• The Hawks held a 7-1 advantage in fast break points.

Up Next
The Scarlet Hawks will return to the Keating Center on Saturday, when they host St. Norbert at 1:00 PM in another NACC conference matchup.